By NEAL WAGNER / Managing Editor

A group of First Baptist Church of Pelham members began their search for the church’s next pastor the same way they begin most things in their lives – with prayer.

“We made a commitment in the beginning that we would operate on God’s timetable. We are not pushing ourselves at all,” search committee chairman Jansen Richardson said on Feb. 13. “We just went through a 30-day process of nothing but prayer on this.”

Richardson and other members of the committee have begun the lengthy process of finding a replacement for longtime church Pastor Dr. Mike Shaw, who will retire on May 31 after 35 years with the church.

Although Shaw previously said he will continue to attend the church and serve in an advisory role after his retirement, his departure will leave a void at the top of the church’s leadership.

Richardson said the search for Shaw’s replacement is a responsibility shared by every member of the church.

“We recently developed a questionnaire to give out to our church membership. That will allow us to be clued in effectively to the desires of our congregation,” Richardson said. “We hope they feel that they’ve got a say in this process, because they really do.”

Richardson said the church has received multiple résumés from those interested in serving as the church’s next pastor, but he said the committee is still in its initial stages of launching the search.

“There’s really nothing I can share on that front right now,” Richardson said of the résumés.

Shaw previously said he will work with the committee to have a new pastor in place by as early as June.